Tom Swarbrick's Reality Check For Both Brexiteers And Remainers On EU

27 July 2018, 11:15

Theresa May's former advisor gave a reality check to both Brexiteers and Remainers on how the UK's negotiations to leave the EU will pan out.

Tom joined LBC from 10 Downing Street and warned commentators to stop simplifying what is a very complex process.

Speaking on his LBC show, he said: "I know it can't be put on to the side of a bus, but the way our exiting the European Union is happening is through 'Incremental Divergence'.

"It's not the sexiest phrase. I know you're not going to get people singing it on stage at Glastonbury. 'Oh Incremental Di-ver-gence'.

"This is technical and this is difficult.

"If parliament is able to choose ultimately what regulations we have, what regulations we don't have and accept the consequences of doing that.

"So if we change our regulations on car manufacturing or plug sockets, we're not going to have access to European markets, but we might be able to get better access into the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

"That is the basis that you have those negotiations and have those discussions about it, understanding there are consequences and taking time over it.

"It's not going to happen immediately, so all the people suggesting that Brexit has been betrayed because the original proposal on what Brexit might look like isn't the one they thought was going to happen... you can get to that point if you have the parliamentary will, understand the consequences of the decisions that you take and then get it through parliament.

"It is called Incremental Divergence. Stick that on the side of a bus."